Catherine the Great and the Russian Enlightenment's Forgotten Playwright

The Romanov Dynasty: Rise, Power, and Bloody End — Fexingo History · Jun 20, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In this episode of The Romanov Dynasty, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising facet of Catherine the Great's reign: her passion for theater and her own literary ambitions. Catherine wrote over 20 plays, including satirical comedies that mocked Russian nobles and Freemasons. Lucas discusses the Empress's collaboration with playwright Denis Fonvizin, her use of comedy as political propaganda, and the controversy around her play 'Oh, These Times!' which criticized serfdom and superstition. The episode also covers the role of the Russian theater in spreading Enlightenment…